Garden Decking

[Tim Nicholson]

OK, I was at a self-build show the other week, and I got talking to a decking installer. (we decided to build a deck rather than a conservatory on the back of the house as we prefer being outdoors)

So yesterday, this chap breezes up, takes about three measurements, sticks his wet thumb in the air and says "Four and a half grand guv".

Now, I'd already asked him for a price just for the timber, which being the 'good' salesman he was he'd countered with "Well, as my guys will only take a day, day-and-a-half at most to build this, and you wouldn't get the 10 year guarantee if we didn't do the work, so no, we can't quote materials only sir"

Some facts and figures. The deck is to be 4.5m deep, 7m across the front, with wide steps (600mm down) to the lawn, and smaller (900mm wide, 600mm drop to another path. Approx 12m of balustrading as two sides are aginst walls. (maybe 14 allowing for the step rails)

Can anyone with more experience than I give a 'guesstimate' for the cost of materials here? I thought around £1500 should do the job, and therefore if I allowed (being generous) £25.00 per hr for a leading hand and £15.00 for his mate, £560 for labour (two days at 7hrs per day) plust the VAT we should be looking at about £2500 tops?

Have I missed something?

Tim

[Andy Hall]

I think that the material cost is about right, although could be a bit more depending on specifics that you choose.

The labour rates may be slightly low.

You haven't accounted for the firm's marketing costs, overheads, cost of the sales person coming to see you and a profit for the shareholders of the firm.

If you want to reduce costs, you could employ a small local hard landscaping firm which does not have the overheads - i.e. a man and a boy. Bear in mind though, that if they are any good, they will be fully booked until next year.

.andy

To email, substitute .nospam with .gl

[BigWallop]

Or get the materials and "DO IT YOURSELF" :-))

[Christian McArdle]

Yes. You've found out one of the main reasons for DIY. Quite frankly, you'd be lucky to persuade cowboys to even quote at the moment around here. They're too busy even to fleece old grannies.

Christian.

[Tim Nicholson]

On Tue, 18 May 2004 16:19:19 GMT, "BigWallop" wrote:

[Tony Bryer]

Oh yes, but do remember that reps' promises don't always come true.

[Ian Stirling]

Make it a 'themed' barbecue. That's only about 100Kg of shifting manure/earth per guest. Should go fast.

[BigWallop]

Don't know about suppliers I'm afraid, best to shop around for that. Here's a few helpful hints on how to put it all together when you get it.

[Nick Brooks]

Some people advise against using old railway sleepers near vegetables and they are full of preservative chemicals which will leech out into the soil over time.

Nick Brooks

[Tim Nicholson]

I'd heard that Nick, and am aware that some people think it's a risk, but as I also eat red meat and salmonella riddled hens eggs, drink alcohol, use salt on my food and even have been known to cross the road on occasions, I guess I'll live with the odds!

Incidentally, can anyone provide a URL to *actual* data for A) the expected rate of 'leech' of creosote or tar products into soil from railway sleepers and B) proven health data that says it's bad?

Tim

[BillV]

I seriously thought of using old sleepers until I went to look at them in several outlets. They were horrible! most were badly split along their length plus the tar and god knows what on them would make you not want them anywhere near your property. Hasn't their domestic use been banned anyway because of the creosote?

[Pete C]

Hi,

It's not so much leeching but frequent skin contact that is the problem:

[usenet]

After the third time without it being corrected it's leaching.

Leeches are animals which suck your blood.

[Tim Mitchell]

In article , BillV writes

If the creosote doesn't put you off, just think of all the poo that's been flushed onto them from passing trains.

I used to work on railways and you could always rely on somebody in a passing train flushing the toilet on the bit of track you were working on.